The Dragon's Fate
by BeastialSunStormDragon
Summary: A new ally, (after a psudo fight), but where, and when, is he from? and why does he always wear a cloak? And now rematches with old enemies.
1. The Meeting

Inuyasha:  
The Dragon's Fate  
  
Disclaimer: If you think I own Inuyasha, then you need to have your head examined. *Sits cross-legged on the ceiling* Although insanity does have its perks.  
  
A/N: This is my first fic. *Shakes head, and a rattling sound is heard* I have ideas for several others, but I choose to do this one first since it is the only one that already has an ending point thought out. So now, ONTO THE FIRST CHAPTER!  
  
Chapter 1: The Meeting  
  
It was a sunny day in Feudal Era Japan. Five people; two women, two men, and a child, were walking on a path through a forest. One of the young men had dark hair and eyes and was dressed in dark robes; he was wearing a strange gauntlet on his right arm and had prayer beads wrapped around it. He also carried a staff with two loops at the top, each loop holding several rings. He appeared to be a monk of some kind, but didn't act like it, judging from the way he was looking at the young woman in front of him, and the way his hand was straying toward...  
  
"MIROKU!"  
  
The monk, Miroku, now with a bright red hand print adorning his face, was being glared at by the young women who's slap had knocked him to the ground. She had dark hair and eyes and was wearing a light pink kimono. She also had a cute little two tailed cat walking beside her, which looked back before continuing on. The child, who was small, wore a blue outfit, had a bushy tail, red hair, and the hind legs of a fox, also looked back.  
  
"Uh oh, they're at it again."  
  
"Shippo, shut up. Miroku, Sango, We don't have time for this."  
  
Said the other young man who, unlike the others, was bounding through the trees along side the path. He had long silver hair with a pair of canine ears popping out of the top. He was wearing a very loose red haori, with loose pants the same color, almost claw-like hands, and amber eyes. He also had a sword at his waist, though if one were to judge by the worn bindings on the hilt it would have to be quite old.  
  
Sh: "Why should I?"  
  
Inu: *Glares at the young fox out of the corner of his eye* "What was that?"  
  
Sh: *Gulps* "Nothing."  
  
"Inuyasha, leave Shippo alone."  
  
Said the last member of the group, a young woman with dark hair and eyes, wearing the typical modern Japanese schoolgirl outfit: a short green skirt, white blouse, black shoes and long white socks, as well as a large, overstuffed yellow backpack.  
  
Sh: "Thanks, Kagome."  
  
As they continued they saw someone coming in the opposite direction. The person was wearing a dark brown cloak, and they had a hood up that put their face completely in shadows, so you couldn't see anything of what they looked like. They made no move to attack or interact, so the group ignored them. As Kagome and the person passed each other, a wind ruffled the person's cloak and Kagome stopped in surprise.  
  
Sa: "What's wrong Kagome?"  
  
Ka: "It was just for a moment, but I thought I felt a jewel shard."  
  
Inu: "WHAT! Where?"  
  
Ka: "From them."  
  
*Kagome turns and points at the person that has just passed the group*  
  
Inu: "HEY YOU, HOLD IT!"  
  
The person stops and turns around, and as they do, their cloak rippled again creating a little space, though it was still impossible to tell what they looked like.  
  
Ka: "There it was again! That person defiantly has a shard of the jewel on them!"  
  
Inu: "Better hand it over now if you know what's good for you."  
  
*The cloaked figure silently shakes their head as Inuyasha draws his sword, which seems to transform as it leaves its sheath until he is holding a giant curved blade that looks a little like a dog's fang*  
  
Inu: "Then things are about to get UGLY!"  
  
Inuyasha yells as he jumps toward the figure with his sword held above his head in both hands, as if he plans to cleave his target in two with a single blow. But as the sword starts to come down, a hand, covered by what looks like a brown leather gauntlet with a fingerless glove emerges from beneath the cloak and is raised into position as if the person intended to block the attack with their arm.  
  
Inu: "Ha, you're a fool if you think that's gonna stop my Tetsuiga!"  
  
*But as his sword hits the gauntlet, it does indeed stop, surprising everyone (other than the figure of course), especially Inuyasha*  
  
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Well, that is it for the first chapter. Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist. 


	2. The Introduction

The Dragon's Fate:  
  
Disclaimer: *Looks down from where he is sitting on the ceiling* I thought I told you last tim; I don't own Inuyasha.  
  
A/N: One quick note: I have only seen what AS has shown of Inuyasha; I have heard all about the Bakuryuuha and understand how it should be used. I have also heard quite a bit about the "red barrier breaking" Tetsuiga upgrade, but don't know enough about it to make much use of it. Finally, I have heard something about a "Diamond Tetsuiga", but know nothing of how it is used or what it does. So there is a limit as to what I can have him use.  
  
Chapter 2: The Introduction  
  
**As Inuyasha's sword hits the figure's gauntlet, it stops, surprising everyone but the figure**  
  
Inu: "What the? Then how about this!"  
  
*Inuyasha raises his sword and swings at the figure's side, only to watch as the figures catches the blow in his hand*  
  
Inu: "What ARE you?"  
  
*This continues for awhile, with the figure blocking or catching all of Inuyasha's attacks*  
  
*After awhile, Inuyasha leapt back and prepared to try a more powerful attack*  
  
Inu: "Let's see how you like THIS! KAZE NO KIZU!"  
  
*Inuyasha then used the power of the Wind Scar to send a blast of energy radiating outwards toward the figure, who simply grabbed the edge of their cloak and flung it upwards as if they believed it could stop the attack*  
  
Inu: "That got him!"  
  
*But as the dust that had been raised by the attack began to settle, they were all surprised to see that the figure was still standing. They seemed to be surrounded by a faint glow, which faded as the dust settled and the edge of the cloak fell back to where it had been*  
  
Inu: "What.how.?"  
  
*At these words, the figure grinned. It seems that the wind that accompanied Inuyasha's "Kaze no Kizu" had managed to blow the figures hood back a little, revealing the lower portion of their face*  
  
"This cloak generates a barrier that protects me from energy attacks by diverting, as opposed to resisting, the energy."  
  
*When the figure spoke his voice was deep, yet clear, and definitely male*  
  
Inu: "Feh, only a coward hides behind a barrier."  
  
???: "You misunderstand. The purpose of my cloak is to protect me when I do not wish to fight, or am unprepared. It restricts my movements too much for me to wear it when I am fighting."  
  
Inu: "Then why don't you take it off so we can get this party started?"  
  
???: "There is no need for me to remove my cloak because I have no reason to fight with you."  
  
Inu: "Don't give me that! I know you have a shard of the jewel."  
  
*At these words the figures cloak rustles and his other hand partially emerges from beneath the cloak, unfortunately, the it remains in the cloak's shadow, so no one can get a good look at it*  
  
???: *While looking at his hand* You are correct. And it has given me nothing but pain."  
  
Kag: "Inuyasha, I think he might be telling the truth."  
  
Mir: "Yes, and besides, it's getting late, so we had better set up camp for the night."  
  
*Kagome looks towards the figure*  
  
Kag: "Would you like to join us?"  
  
???: "Thank you, I would be glad to accept your offer."  
  
Kag: "You're welcome. Oh, and I guess we should introduce ourselves. I'm Kagome, *points to a sulking Inuyasha* That's Inuyasha, Shippo's the kitsune, the monk is Miroku, and her name is Sango." *While pointing to each in turn* "Oh, and the two tailed kitten is named Kilala."  
  
???: "It is nice to meet you all; just call me Ryei."  
  
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There now I'm done with chapter 2. Oh, When it comes to their attacks, I'll call them by the Japanese name, if I know it, but use the American name in the description. And if anyone is wondering what took me so long, let's just say that I have trouble turning my thoughts into words. See you next time. 


	3. The Explanation

The Dragon's Fate:  
  
Disclaimer: *Looks around from his seat on the ceiling* What the? HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT? I don't own Inuyasha.  
  
A/N: I thought I should also mention that I am good at making the overall story line, but can have trouble writing the individual scenes.  
  
Chapter 3: The Explanation  
  
Ryei: "It is nice to meet you all, just call me Ryei."  
  
*As he said this, Ryei pulled down his hood, revealing dark brown hair, which formed downward pointing "spikes" around the sides of his head, he also had a long ponytail that went down to his waist, and at the sides of his head, above each ear there were "tufts" of hair that stuck up in such a way that when you looked at his shadow. It looked like it had little cat ears, but his eyes could not be seen as he kept them closed while he smiled, and half closed afterward.*  
  
Inu: "Feh, Ryei? What kind of a name is that?"  
  
Ryei: "It is a slurring of the words "Ryu", meaning Dragon, and "Rei", which means Thunder."  
  
Mir: "I take it that Ryei is not your original name?"  
  
Ryei: "You are correct. I haven't used my birth name in several months."  
  
*As he says this, he looks down and his cloak ruffles a little and everyone realizes that he must be thinking about his hand, though none of them know what is wrong with it*  
  
*At this point, Sango and Kagome finish preparing the campsite and tell everyone to sit down while the food (some of Kagome's ramen, of course) cooks*  
  
Kag: "Earlier, you said that the shard you have has brought you nothing but pain, what did you mean by that?"  
  
Ryei: "My power and the shards power are too different; they clash within my body, weakening it even as they strengthen it."  
  
Kag: "Oh."  
  
*Kagome and the others discussed Ryei's response among themselves as Ryei himself lay back and looked at the sky, his eyes remaining mostly closed and impossible to see*  
  
Kag: "Foods done, everybody dig in."  
  
*At these words, Ryei sat up and started to reach out with his right hand when Kagome noticed that his arm looked like it had been burned recently but was starting to heal*  
  
Kag: "Oh, your arm, what happened?"  
  
*Ryei glances at his arm and shrugs beneath his cloak*  
  
Ryei: "Hmmmmmmm? Oh, it's nothing; it should be fully healed by morning."  
  
*After saying this, Ryei picked up his cup of ramen and drank it like it was soup, instead of using chopsticks like the others*  
  
Ryei: "That was quite good. I apologize for my manners; I can not use my left hand, so I am unable to use chopsticks, or most other eating utensils."  
  
*Most of the group were confused by the last part of his statement, but Kagome raised an eyebrow at it*  
  
Kag: "So you can't use a fork, knife or spoon?"  
  
Ryei: "Not very well; I'm left handed."  
  
Kag: "You're not from this time, are you?"  
  
*At Kagome's question Ryei raised his left eyebrow and finally opened one eye wide enough for the others to see it, his eye was normal looking and a slightly lighter shade of brown than his hair*  
  
Ryei (With a lightly sad look and hint of a chuckle in his voice): "You are correct. I am not from this time, nor this country. I'm just glad I took Japanese in school."  
  
*At his words, the others, who had been giving Kagome a surprised look for her question, gave him an even more surprised look*  
  
Mir: "Excuse me, but if you are not from this time or land, then how did you get here?  
  
*Ryei slides his left hand out of his cloak and looks down at it, the others also look at it and realized that it was almost entirely made of pink crystal, and they could all see a blood red glow in the center, which is where Kagome sensed the jewel shard to be*  
  
Ryei: "When the Shikon Jewel fractured, an enormous amount of energy was released. The demon within one of the shards awakened and used that energy to create a tear in time and space. When it came out, it buried it self in my hand because it must have sensed a dormant power within me that it wanted. The power within me awoke and tried to expel the shard by reversing the tear, but the shard was already to deeply imbedded in my hand. When the tear reversed, I was also brought through it, and have been here ever since."  
  
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Sorry to leave off there, but some suspense can be a GOOD thing. See you later. 


	4. The Aspects

The Dragon's Fate:  
  
Disclaimer: *Sighs while sitting on the wall above the door* You figure it out.  
  
A/N: I can't really think of much more to put here, I would respond to reviews, if I had any.Oh well, on with the fic.  
  
Chapter 4: The Aspects  
  
Ryei: ".I was also brought through it, and have been here ever since."  
  
*Ryei looks up and glances at their faces before continuing with his story, though his left remains as closed as ever*  
  
Ryei: "The nature of the power within me is to protect; the shard wants to absorb that power, but must absorb my body and soul do accomplish this goal. My power fights the shard, but has no room in which to grow; if I use my power, the shard will expand like an infection and will one day consume my being. That is one reason I made this cloak, though I used some of my power in it's creation. It has protected my and thus, I have used less power than I would have, had I not made it."  
  
*After saying this, Ryei grows silent and awaits the questions he knows the others must have*  
  
Mir: "Forgive me, but from what you have told us, it sounds as though the jewel fragment embedded in your hand is capable of acting on its own, yet no other shard we have encountered has shown this capacity. Why is that?"  
  
Ryei: "From what I can understand, the Jewel, the Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls, is as its name suggests, made of souls. Whenever the Jewel was used, the being possessing it would draw on the power of the souls contained within, but upon their death, their soul would be absorbed and their power would become a part of the Jewel's. When the Jewel was shattered, it separated into a separate piece for each soul. While the majority of the souls remained dormant, the soul within this shard was somehow awakened by the energy that broke the Jewel."  
  
Kag: "You mean the Jewel's power comes from the souls of those that have used it in the past?"  
  
Ryei: "Yes, and the shards work in much the same way, if being, whether human or demon, dies while a shard of the jewel is in their body, their soul and power will be absorbed by the shard or shards."  
  
Inu: "So, according to what you just told us, if we can find all the shards and fix the Jewel, it will have even more power than it did before it was broken?"  
  
Kag: "INUYASHA!"  
  
Inu: "WHAT? I was just asking a question." *Mumbles* "Stupid wench."  
  
Kag: "What was that?"  
  
Inu: "Nothing, nothing."  
  
*Ryei raises his eyebrow and gives a little smile at this performance before he continues*  
  
Ryei: "Actually, completing the jewel is not a matter of locating all the shards. The jewel can be restored to its former form by gathering enough souls to restore it to the power it had before it was broken."  
  
Mir: "Now that could be a problem. We have always believed that Naraku would come to us, since he would require our shards to complete the jewel. But, if what you say is true, and Naraku finds out about it, then he could simply wait until he has an entire jewel and use it to become a full demon, and then attack us to gain our fragments, which would allow his to create a second jewel."  
  
Ryei: "Not quite. As long as there are other shards, the jewel shall continue to exist. If this Naraku were to use the jewel's power to become a pure demon, then the jewel would continue to exist within his being, and he would absorb any shard of the jewel that he came in contact with. Also, if the jewel were to be expelled from his body before all the shards were incorporated, then he would return to his previous state."  
  
San: "How is it that you know so much about the jewel? I came from the village were the jewel was created, and yet not even my people knew the things you have told us."  
  
Ryei: "My power has three aspects; I have already told you of the main aspect, Protection, the other two are Knowledge, and Analysis. Because of this, as my power fights the jewels, I learn of the jewels history and power. As long as my power does not leave my body, my defenses against the shard remain unweakened. I am threatened only when I must use my power externally, or when another being comes into contact with the crystallized portion of my body, since the jewel will absorb not only me, but anything it can."  
  
*After saying this, Ryei closes his eye, and to all appearances, goes to sleep, though it is difficult to tell since the only part of him they can actually see is his head* ???: "Soon, I shall reclaim my soul."  
  
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Maybe some cliffhangers will get me some reviews, although this one should be relatively easy to figure out, especially if you've read some of the other fics here. Ja ne. 


	5. The Revelations

The Dragon's Fate:  
  
Disclaimer: *Is now sitting on a wall, and facing the door* *Yawns* Are you dense? Or do you find this funny?  
  
A/N: *Is unable to think of anything to put here* Oh well, I guess we might as well start the chap.  
  
Chapter 5: The Revelations  
  
???: "Soon, I shall reclaim my soul."  
  
*For awhile Inuyasha and the others talked among themselves, discussing Ryei's story, and other recent occurrences, though at first they seemed on edge, as if the story or simply Ryei's presence had made them wary, but as they spoke to one another, they calmed down and became comfortable again*  
  
*It was then when an arrow, aimed at Kagome, shot out of the trees behind and slightly to the left of Ryei, who, before anyone else could react, caught it with the index and middle fingers of his right hand. Even though it passed on his left side, since his eyes remained closed no one could see that they glowed an electric-blue when he caught the arrow*  
  
Ryei: "Who are you?"  
  
*As he said this, Ryei twitched his fingers, making the arrow snap into two pieces, the pieces glow pink and vanished before they could fall*  
  
*When Ryei had caught the arrow, Inuyasha had jumped up and drawn his Tetsuiga, Kagome had scooted back a little in surprise, Shippo had yelped and hidden behind Kagome, Sango had gotten up and reached for her boomerang in the same motion, and Miroku, who had been about to earn yet another slap from Sango due to his wandering hand, grabbed his staff and took up a defensive position*  
  
???: "It seems your new friend is more alert than you are, Inuyasha."  
  
*As these words were spoken, a woman, with a face similar to Kagome's, though a little older, and hair like Kagome's, though in a different style, dressed in a Red Haori and while Kimono holding a bow, and with a quiver on her back, stepped out from the trees*  
  
Inu: "K..Kikyo.."  
  
*Though Inuyasha lowered his sword and had a surprised expression on his face, Sango and Miroku's looks hardened and their motions indicated that they were ready to attack should their visitor make any wrong move. Shippo growled, and Kagome stood up with an irritated look on her face*  
  
Kag: "NOW WHAT? What are you doing here?"  
  
*Kikyo glances toward Kagome with a smug look on her face before responding*  
  
Kik: "I merely wished to reclaim the rest of my soul. Had your new friend not interfered, it would have been quick, and you would not have suffered."  
  
*As Sango and Miroku glared their hatred, and they, along with Kagome and Shippo yelled various threats and insults, Kikyo continued to look around their camp, the smug smile never leaving her face, while Inuyasha, struck dumb by Kikyo's appearance, did nothing but blink and seemed unaware of what was happening*  
  
"A perished soul, brought back through demonic means."  
  
*At these words, every one, including Inuyasha and Kikyo, looked at Ryei with expressions of surprise on their faces*  
  
Ryei: "Betrayed before death, or so was believed. Though time stops for the dead. If one is returned to even a semblance of life, though time may not return to normal, it shall still begin to move again. In the living world, even one who should be dead can learn new things and move forward in life. The only thing that can hold one such as you back is your own desire to cling to the past. You do not want things to have changed and use your death as an excuse not to progress. As long as you act thus, and prevent the past from passing on, you shall never find peace, in neither life, nor death. And in time, your hatred and jealousy shall bring about your own destruction from within."  
  
*For a few moments after he fell silent, everyone stared at Ryei, as if try to absorb his words and understand his meaning, but the silence was broken by Kikyo's laugh as her Soul Gatherers surrounded her and started to carry her away*  
  
Kik: "I no not what you mean, but the element of surprise was already lost to me. I shall leave for now, Inuyasha, but I shall return to reclaim my soul, and take your life."  
  
*Inuyasha started toward the receding Kikyo, as if he want to ask her to come back when* "SIT BOY!" *he was slammed into the ground. He forgot all about Kikyo as he got up and started arguing with Kagome* "WENCH! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" *It took awhile for Miroku and Sango to calm the two down, but once it had been accomplished and everyone had settled down again (even if Inuyasha was glaring into the sky and refusing to look at anyone) Miroku looked back toward Ryei*  
  
Mir: "Forgive me for asking this, but Ryei, how did you know so much about Kikyo's past?"  
  
*The others were startled by Miroku's question and looked at him for a second before turning to look at Ryei*  
  
San: "Now that I think about it, you're right, it does seem strange."  
  
Inu: "Well?"  
  
Ryei: "As I already mentioned, one of the aspects of my power is Analysis. The arrow's power came from a small piece of her soul that she placed within it. When I touched the arrow, my power acted on it's own and seemed to absorb a little bit of her past. I learned nothing specific, and was only able to get a general idea of what had happened to her because the piece was so small, but what I did learn, combined with the nature of my ancestor, which seems to lie within his blood, caused me to say what I did. Otherwise, I would likely have remained silent and allowed the situation to play out a little more before I interfered."  
  
Mir: "Hmmmm. You have given us much to think about, and I think it is time we all got some rest. Well everyone, shall we turn in?  
  
San: HENTAI!  
  
*It seems that this time, the now unconscious Miroku's hand wasn't distracted from its wandering*  
  
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Well, that is it for this Chapter. Oh, and as for my characterization of Kikyo, since my experience with her in the anime is rather limited, I also had to base her a little upon the other fics I have read. Ja ne. 


	6. The Unexpected

The Dragon's Fate:  
  
Disclaimer: *Spins around in mid-air like a gyroscope* I would rather not be redundant.  
  
A/N: I was really hoping I wouldn't have to beg for reviews, but I guess things aren't that easy. Oh well. *Shrugs and looks at the readers* Please Review.  
  
Chapter 6: The Unexpected  
  
*As Inuyasha awoke the next morning, he noticed a faint glow seemed to surround their camp. When he realized this, he snapped fully awake and tried to figure out what was happening*  
  
Mir: "Huh? Inuyasha, what's going on? What is all the fuss about?"  
  
*Inuyasha's reaction to the unfamiliar barrier, namely low growls, disturbed Miroku from his rest, fortunately, this happened before Sango could awaken* "HENTAI!" *Unfortunately, he failed to move his hand from the position it had assumed during the night, which resulted, as usual, in his losing consciousness thanks to a blow from Sango's Hiraikotsu*  
  
San: "What is wrong Inuyasha?"  
  
Inu: "There is some sort of barrier around our camp, and I don't like it."  
  
San: "Nani?"  
  
*As Miroku awakens, Sango looks around and notes that Inuyasha is correct, although it does not worry her as much as it does him*  
  
San: "I wonder where it came from."  
  
Mir: "This appears to resemble the barrier that protected Ryei from the Kaze no Kizu; perhaps he would know something about it."  
  
*They turned to look at Ryei and noticed a few things. One was that he was in the same position as he had been when they decided to go to sleep, which meant he had slept while sitting up. Second was the medallion which acted as a clasp for his cloak. They had not paid much attention to it before, but they now noticed that there was a strange and highly complex geometric symbol on it, mainly because the aforementioned symbol was glowing. The third, as was evident from the way his head was nodding forward and the slow regular pattern of his breathing, was that he was still asleep, even after Sango's morning yell at Miroku, which had caused Kagome and Shippo to get up and begin the preparations for breakfast*  
  
Inu: "Is he still asleep?"  
  
Kag: "Looks that way to me."  
  
Inu: "HEY YOU, WAKE UP!"  
  
*Ryei tilts his head up and looks at Inuyasha with his left eye, he then yawns and looks around, upon noticing the barrier, his hand comes out of his cloak and taps the clasp. It stops glowing and the barrier fades*  
  
Ryei: "Sorry, I'm a deep sleeper."  
  
Mir: "Oh, so you were creating the barrier."  
  
Ryei: "Hmm? Oh, that was from my cloak. Like I said, I'm a deep sleeper, so the barrier helps prevent enemies from attacking me while I sleep."  
  
Mir: "Ah, I see."  
  
Ryei: "However, I should also note that the barrier should not have been visible unless something tried to get through it."  
  
Kag: "Um, guys, I'm sensing a Jewel Shard."  
  
Inu: "WHAT?! Where?"  
  
Kag: "I'm not sure; it almost feels like we're surrounded by it."  
  
???: "Of course. I can't let you escape; it would be such a waste of such pretty hair."  
  
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A/N: There, that is it for this chapter, and it is another easily figured out cliffhanger too. Ah well, see you next time. 


	7. The SplitEnds

The Dragon's Fate:  
  
Disclaimer: *Head appears in mid air* I would think you know what I'm going to say by now. *Head spins around like a gyroscope* I'm starting to get dizzy.  
  
A/N: Well, at least I got one review. Thanks Caprice Legerdemain. Oh, and your guess was correct.  
  
Chapter 6: The Split-End (Sorry, I couldn't resist making this joke, I have an overactive sense of humor.)  
  
???: "Of course. I can't let you escape; it would be a waste of such pretty hair."  
  
*At the sound of a voice, everyone looks toward where it is coming from, and see a woman, dressed in a black sleeveless outfit with pink eyes and dark green hair that is almost black. Shippo runs behind Kagome, Kilala arches her back and spits, Ryei remains seated and simply glances upward, Sango gets up and grabs her boomerang, before glancing at Miroku, who was looking at their opponent with a lecherous look in his eyes, before getting flattened by Hiraikotsu* "This is not the time for your lechery." "Yes, lady Sango." *However, Kagome and Inuyasha's reactions are both stunned looks of disbelief*  
  
Kag: "Y.Yura?!"  
  
Inu: "I.Impossible! WE ALREADY KILLED YOU!"  
  
Yura: "True. I really must thank that Naraku character for using a shard of the Sacred Jewel to fix my comb; it makes me so much more alive."  
  
Inu: "So that's it is it? Naraku brought you back to give us a hard time. Well, we beat you once, and we'll do it again."  
  
Yura: "Oh? Are you sure? Because I already know about you and your companions from Naraku, though I don't remember him being mentioned."  
  
*As she says this, Yura narrows her eyes and looks at Ryei*  
  
Yura: "There's something strange about him, but I like his hair, so he'll be the first."  
  
*Yura twitches her fingers and several hairs wrap around Ryei's throat, however, he appears completely calm*  
  
Ryei: "You couldn't penetrate my cloak's barrier when it covered the entire campsite, your chances of getting through it right now are even less."  
  
*As he says this, Ryei raises his hand and plucks at one of the hairs as if it were a string on an instrument, he then grabs as many of the hairs as he can and yanks them away from his neck, causing them to snap*  
  
Shi: "Sango, behind you!"  
  
*Out of reflex, Sango jumps to the side, but she and Miroku don't see anything, even though they do hear something going through the air*  
  
Mir: "But, I don't see any attack, and what did Ryei pull at?"  
  
Inu: *Who hadn't even bothered to look when Shippo shouted, preferring to keep his attention on the enemy he could see* Yura uses hairs to attack. They're pretty dangerous to humans, and most people can't see 'em. She likes to get more by taking people's heads."  
  
Kag: "Shippo, you can see the hairs?"  
  
Shi: "Yeah. I wonder why?"  
  
Ryei: "Red Kitsunes are often illusionists. It is natural that they would develop they ability to see through the illusions of others at sometime in their life."  
  
Inu: "Heh, so he does have some use. Miroku, Sango, keep the hairs away from Kagome, Shippo, make sure they know where to aim. Kagome, Try to figure out where the Jewel shard is, we need to find that comb or we'll be at this all day. I'll keep Yura busy. And Ryei, I hope you can do more than just stand there like a dummy, 'cause this bitch can be a real pain to fight."  
  
Mir: "I might not be able to see the hairs, but there is no sign of Naraku's insects, so I can simply use my KAZAAN...Huh!?"  
  
*as Miroku raised his hand in preparation to use the "Wind Tunnel", Yura, simply glanced toward him and motioned with her hand, causing a clump of hairs to shoot out of the trees and wrap around Miroku's hand, leaving him unable to open it, or to remove the prayer beads that kept the Kazaana sealed*  
  
Mir: *as he grabs his staff* "This is not good."  
  
Inu: "Idiot, she said she heard about us from Naraku. If he didn't send his insects, then it was obvious that she had some other way to deal with your hand."  
  
*Yura looks at Inuyasha and gives a little grin*  
  
Yura: "Oh? Then why did you start to smile when he was about to unleash the attack?"  
  
*Inuyasha growls and jumps toward Yura as his hand goes to unsheathe the Tetsuiga, but when he pulls, it doesn't come out, and Yura simply moves to the side causing Inuyasha to fly right past her, to land on all fours and skid a little as he uses his momentum to turn around and glare at Yura*  
  
Inu: "What the?"  
  
Kag: "Inuyasha, there is a clump of hairs around the Tetsuiga's hilt just like the one on Miroku's hand. You won't be able to pull it out!"  
  
Yura: "Like you said, I know better than to let you use such dangerous toys. Just think of how much hair you ruined last time we met!"  
  
"Would you consider a gauntlet with a retractable hidden blade a dangerous toy?"  
  
*While Yura had been focusing her attention on Inuyasha, Ryei had come up behind her. Even though he had jumped and was in mid-air, his cloak remained closed so all you could see was his arm sticking out, however, it was apparent that gauntlet did serve more than one purpose as a blade the length of his forearm could be seen coming out at his wrist*  
  
Ryei: "Heads up."  
  
*Before Yura could turn around, Ryei swiped his hand and severed her neck, yet before he could even land, several clumps of hair went past her head and left her as good as new, without even a mark to show where the cut had been*  
  
Ryei: *Landing in a crouched position and looking at Yura over his right shoulder* "So, the hairs are absorbed into the host's body and turned into organic material to repair it."  
  
Yura: "What? How did you get so close? Why couldn't I sense you?"  
  
Ryei: "My aura is unlike that of any other human, or any demon. You probably didn't pick up on it because it was so unfamiliar."  
  
Yura: "What? Impossible. Even that half-breed aura isn't that different. What are you?"  
  
*As Yura yells she sweeps back her hand and sends a large clump of hair at both Ryei and Inuyasha, who both jump away, each in a different direction, but most attention is on Ryei, or rather his right eye, which is finally open enough to be seen, and is light blue with a slit pupil, similar to a cat's but much narrower*  
  
Ryei: "Don't ask."  
  
Inu: "What the."  
  
Ryei: "I'll explain later, and with the way she tends to focus on one target at a time, now is a good chance to attack."  
  
Yura: "NO YOU DON'T!"  
  
*Hearing what Ryei had said, Yura had automatically turned around and sent an attack toward where Inuyasha had landed, but was surprised when she saw nothing there* "SANKONTETSOU!" *Yura looked up right as she was hit by Inuyasha's "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer" attack from above, Inuyasha having jumped up as Yura was turning around, rather than going straight for her like she had expected*  
  
Inu: "Kagome, any idea where that stupid comb is yet?"  
  
Kag: "No, there are too many hairs! I can't tell which ones are connected to her hands."  
  
Ryei: "There is a strand of hair coming out of the back of her head. It looks like one of her own hairs for the most part, so it is easy to overlook. Maybe that one can help."  
  
*Kagome squints and locates the hair Ryei is talking about. As she looks at it, she notices a slight pink aura, like that of a Shikon shard*  
  
Kag: "I found it! And it looks like it is sending her the jewel's power."  
  
Ryei: "That makes sense; that hair is probably how the comb possesses her body."  
  
Miroku: "What do you mean?"  
  
Ryei: "The comb itself is just a comb; it may have powers, but it wouldn't be able to use them on its own, since it wouldn't have a body. Yura probably found the comb sometime in the past and used it to comb her own hair. When she did, the comb possessed her body and used it as its own."  
  
Kag: "But last time, when we broke the comb, Yura disintegrated. Shouldn't she have been released from the spell?"  
  
Ryei: "No, they were still connected. The more hair Yura gathered, the more powerful the comb became. When it was destroyed, the backlash destroyed her body, and since they were still connected at death, when the comb was fixed, it was able to recreate her body thanks to the added power of the Jewel shard."  
  
Mir: "So what would happen if we severed the connection?"  
  
Ryei: "Yura might be released, but while her body was brought back, we can't be sure if her soul was. She must have a soul, but the chances that it is "blank", that it is a new soul with no connection to her original one, are just as good as the chances that she retains her previous soul. Also, with the added power of the Jewel shard, the comb might be able to possess a new body without touching its hair, and that could also make it a lot harder to find the connecting strand of hair."  
  
San: "So we should find the comb first. Then maybe we can cut the strand and destroy the comb in the same attack."  
  
*Since Kagome had been standing next to her pack the entire time, she already had her bow and arrows in her hand. By tracking the strand, she was able to figure out the direction the comb would be in. Unfortunately it was deeper in the woods, and she couldn't see its exact location from where she was standing*  
  
Kag: "Come on, the comb is this way."  
  
*And Kagome dashed off into the woods, Sango, Miroku, Kilala, and Shippo (who was riding the transformed Kilala) were hard on her tail. Inuyasha and Ryei weren't too far behind, though they were slowed down a little since they were trying to prevent Yura from getting ahead of them to attack Kagome*  
  
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A/N: Well, That should be it for this chapter. It is a lot longer than I expected, seven pages, and this A/N makes eight. I'll try to finish the fight with Yura at the beginning of the next chapter, and then I'll explain a little more about Ryei. I hope I get some more reviews before then. Ja ne.  
  
My pre-reader brought up a few questions, so I thought I would quickly clarify: 1. Kilala/Kirara's name. I choose to use Kilala because it is a perfectly acceptable translation (the "r" and "l" sounds are interchangeable when translating from Japanese to English) and because I find Kilala to be easier to pronounce. 2. Running into the woods at the end when they were previously surrounded. The hair would never have made a solid wall, Kagome said it felt like the Jewel was surrounding them because she was sensing the jewel's power in all the hairs in the vicinity. Also most of the hairs that had been nearby would have been called by Yura and become part of the clumps she used to attack, thus lessening the density of the hairs that Kagome would have to sort through. Finally, Kagome was in the lead of the charge into the woods. She can see the hairs, and thus stay out of their way. Miroku and Sango were following her, thus they would also be safe. And as for Ryei, Inuyasha, and Kilala, Ryei's cloak and the other two's skin are all too tough, and the hairs would snap at contact if the were taut. Ja ne again. 


	8. The Revelation

The Dragon's Fate:  
  
Disclaimer: *Spells out "I don't own Inuyasha" in midair using lightning* *Yawns*  
  
A/N: *Wonders why it is so hard to get reviews* Oh, and about halfway through this chapter I encountered a major case of writer's block concerning how to finish the fight, so that would be why it took so long.  
  
Chapter 6: The Revelation  
  
*After making her way through the forest for awhile, Kagome spotted the comb. It was in a clearing, atop a pile of skulls, that was on a "platform" made of hair*  
  
Kag: "Found it. Now if I can just hit the Jewel Shard..."  
  
*As she spoke, Kagome started to reach for her bow, when several clumps of hair shot out of the shadows and bound her wrists and ankles*  
  
Kag: "Sango, Miroku, be careful!"  
  
Mir: "Sorry Lady Kagome; we were also caught."  
  
Kag: "Oh no!"  
  
*While Kagome, Sango, and Miroku had gone ahead, Kilala flew over with Shippo on her back, and Inuyasha and Ryei kept attacking Yura to slow her down. However, when Kagome tried to warn Sango and Miroku, Inuyasha heard her*  
  
Inu: "KAGOME!"  
  
*Inuyasha tried to sever the hairs, but was also caught, and was bound to a tree trunk on the edge of the clearing. Meanwhile, Yura was able to focus completely on Ryei and managed to wrap him in enough hair so that only his head could be seen*  
  
Yura: "Did you think I wouldn't protect my comb? I had a trap ready incase anyone tried to damage it. Now I'll just go and get that little fox."  
  
*After saying this, Yura left to look for Shippo, not realizing that he and Kilala were nearby, in the sky*  
  
Ryei: "I wonder if this hair is flammable..."  
  
Inu: "Yeah, Yura has an attack using flaming strands of hair, so?  
  
Ryei: "Fire could easily be used to weaken the hairs binding us, so we could get loose."  
  
Inu: *Blink* *Blink* "Where's that stupid fox when you need him?"  
  
Ship: "Right above you."  
  
Inu: "WHERE'D YOU COME FROM?"  
  
Ship: "I was on Kilala, I heard everything. I'm just glad Yura didn't see me."  
  
*As he spoke, Shippo used his Fox Fire to break the hairs binding Inuyasha and the others so they could do something about the comb*  
  
Inu: "Yura probably felt you burning her hairs. Kagome, you'd better deal with the comb. The rest of us will keep Yura off your back."  
  
Ryei: "Speaking of which..."  
  
*As he spoke, Ryei swung around with his gauntlet's blade out and took a swipe at Yura who had just come charging out of the trees behind him. However, Yura managed to dodge his attack by jumping backwards, and as she did so, she twitched her fingers causing a few hairs to wrap around the wrist part of the gauntlet and pull it off*  
  
San: "Ryei, your hand..."  
  
*With the gauntlet off, it could now be seen that Ryei's hand and arm were covered with electric blue-green scales*  
  
Ryei: "Like I said before, I'll explain later."  
  
*Ryei leapt back to dodge an attack from Yura and then threw back the right side of his cloak*  
  
Inu: "WHAT THE! WHAT'S THE WIND SCAR DOING AROUND YOUR ARM?"  
  
*Inuyasha's reaction, while the loudest, wasn't the only one of it's kind, for they were all surprised to see the Wind Scar wrapping around Ryei's arm and hand from the elbow down just as it had wrapped around the Tetsuiga ever since Inuyasha's battle with Ryokotsusei*  
  
Ryei: "As I told you before, I am able to analyze attacks that are used around me, and in the case of energy attacks, I can also recreate them, as well as see other ways they could be utilized."  
  
Inu: "What are you talk....."  
  
*As he was talking, Ryei pulled back his arm and thrust it straight forward as he yelled out "KAZE NO KIZU!" as he did, a yellow beam shot forward and was barely dodged by Yura. They were all stunned for a few seconds by the beam, and then there was a flash and every thing that had been in the beams path was gone, the ground awash with heat, but it wasn't just where the beam was; since the beam had been relatively narrow, everything that had been within three meters of the attack had been destroyed*  
  
Ryei: "Remind me ... not to ... do that ... again ..."  
  
*Everyone turned back to look at Ryei and noticed that the part of his arm that the Wind Scar had previously been wrapped around was now very different. The scales were gone, as if they had been blown away by the attacks power, the flesh looked as if it had been severely burned and there were numerous cuts covering his hand and arm*  
  
San: "A ... wing?"  
  
*When Sango spoke, the others, whose attention had all been focused on the now injured arm, looked at what had been revealed of Ryei's form. He was wearing a common pair of brown pants, but if his feet and the scales that could be seen above the waist of his pants were any indication, his lower body was similar to his arm. He wore no shirt, but this was probably explained by the large feathered wing coming out of his right shoulder, it was currently folded, but it looked like the feathers where white. It could also be seen that the scales which normally covered his lower arm continued up to his shoulder, but the majority of his torso appeared to be that of a normal human*  
  
Ryei: "Um... wouldn't this be a good time to deal with that comb?"  
  
*Kagome put a hand to her mouth and her eyes widened before she spun around and fired an arrow at the shard connecting the two pieces of the comb* *As she did, Yura started forward as if trying to stop Kagome, and Ryei's visible wing suddenly opened fully and one feather flew out* *Just before Kagome's arrow hit the shard, a twang, like a taunt cord, could be heard through out the clearing*  
  
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A/N: Well that should be it for the battle with Yura. And considering how long it has been since I posted a chapter, and I haven't gotten any reviews in that time, I'm wondering if anyone does read this fic...Ja ne. 


	9. The History

The Dragon's Fate:  
  
Disclaimer: Is nowhere to be seen A message saying "The author is currently too busy being bored to say he doesn't own Inuyasha, please come back later", written in lightning, suddenly appears  
  
A/N: Wonders why it is so hard to get reviews  
  
Chapter 7: The History  
  
It was now nighttime, and everyone was settled around a fire, and looked like they had just finished eating Sango and Miroku were both examining Ryei's gauntlet, Sango to see if she could understand the mechanism that sheathed and revealed the blade, and Miroku to try and decipher the various spells that he had sensed around it after the battle  
  
Inu: "Hey Ryei, I think it's about time you finally told us about your hand and eye, or do we still have to wait for "Later"?"  
  
Kag: "Inuyasha! Do you have to be so rude about it?"  
  
Ryei: "That's ok, I know that he has probably used up all his patience for the day. You might remember that I mentioned an ancestor after the encounter with the mud mannequin last night."  
  
Mir: "Hmmmm, yes, I do recall something about your ancestor's nature causing you to speak out like you did, so?"  
  
Ryei: "The ancestor in question is the one from whom my powers were inherited. Also, had my powers remained dormant, as they have in all other members of my family, I would not even know that this ancestor existed."  
  
Inu: "What the hell do you mean by that? If he was so powerful, then wouldn't your family make a big deal out of being descended from him?"  
  
Ryei: "There are several reasons. One is that my ancestor rarely showed his true powers, and usually acted like a human priest. Another is that when his child was born, he placed a "seal" of sorts on the bloodline so his power would remain dormant. As for why I am aware of him, apparently, one of the things that his blood carried was knowledge. As such, I know who and what he was, though I do not know everything about him."  
  
Inu: "Who and what" he was, you mean he was a demon?"  
  
Ryei: "Not quite; he was a Dragon."  
  
Inu: "A what?"  
  
Ryei: Sighs and looks upward "A Ryu."  
  
Inu: "Oh, same thing."  
  
Ryei: "Actually, no. The Dragons of the far west came into existence at about the same time as demons first appeared in these lands, so they are not the same. That is also why my aura confused Yura so much; Western Dragons are not common in these lands, so she had no way of knowing that that is what she was sensing."  
  
Kag: "So you're part Dragon? How much?"  
  
Ryei: Chuckles "That is one of the stranger things, even though my Dragon blood is approximately 500 years old, because of the manner in which it works, I would still be considered a half-Dragon."  
  
Inu: "That doesn't make any sense at all."  
  
Ryei: "I know. It is hard to explain, but apparently, the Dragon blood absorbs traits of other bloodlines, especially supernatural ones, into itself. This allows it to be passed on in its entirety, so rather than becoming weaker with each generation, if anything, it becomes stronger."  
  
Mir: "I've found at least two illusion spells on this gauntlet, but they are so unfamiliar I can't decipher their exact purpose."  
  
Ryei: "Ah, those are to make my fingers and what can be seen of my lower arm appear like that of a normal human when I am wearing the gauntlet. There is also a spell that makes the leather as tough as my Dragon skin, which is why it was undamaged by the Tetsuiga's attacks when we first met."  
  
Kag: "Oh, is that why you wear the cloak and keep your eyes closed? To hide your heritage?"  
  
Ryei: "That is correct. As long as the shard remains embedded in my hand, my Dragon blood continues to flow, causing me to look as I do now." During the entire conversation, Ryei's cloak had been pushed back allowing them to see his entire body. His feet had three clawed "toes" in the front and a fourth in the back that seemed too grow out of the heel, the lower part of his left arm was almost completely crystallized, and veins of the pink substance took up most of the upper arm and extended a few inches into his torso. His wings, which were now both visible, were quite large; the tips would almost touch the ground if they were closed while he was standing. One thing that seemed strange about the wings is that they were connected to his body only at the joint. While this would probably allow for great maneuverability in flight, it would also make injuring the wings much easier. The tops of the wings were covered in the same electric blue-green scales as his legs and right arm, while the feathers were a stunning counterpoint. On the backs of his wings, the feathers were a soft white, while on the underside, they were a brilliant, almost metallic, blue several shades darker than his eye. As he was sitting, he had to keep his wings partially open since they would flop in most uncomfortable manner otherwise. "The wings make wearing a shirt pretty much impossible, and if I did not disguise them, and my arm, then it would be near impossible to enter a human town without inciting a major panic, which would make obtaining food, and other items, quite difficult."  
  
San: "That is a good point. Also, here is your gauntlet. I think it is about time we all got some sleep. If Naraku can bring back enemies that we have already beaten, then there is no telling what we might encounter next, so we should try to get some rest while we can."  
  
They all agreed and turned in for the night. Inuyasha jumped into a nearby tree, while Kagome got out everything that would be needed for herself, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kilala. Ryei continued to sit cross-legged as he had been, wrapped his cloak around him, and taped the crest on his medallion  
  
The next morning they had almost finished disbanding their camp when Kagome sensed two jewel shards coming their way, and fast! A tornado soon entered the clearing in which they had camped, something seemed to jump out of the tornado, but before anyone else could react, it had run straight into, (and done a full 360 degree rotation around, ending up flat on it's face on the ground) Ryei's outstretched arm  
  
Ryei: Looked down at the outstretched form on the ground, male, black hair in a pony tail, wearing what looked like armor made of brown wolf fur, complete with tail, and quirked his eyebrow "His reflexes need work." Turns to the others "Have you met him before?"  
  
Inu: Blinks twice and then bursts out laughing. "That baka wolf finally got a taste of his own medicine."  
  
Koga: "Grrrrrrrrr... look who's talking, mutt face,"  
  
Kag: "Stop it you two, right now!"  
  
Almost as soon as she had finished speaking, Koga had jumped up and grabbed Kagome's hands in his own  
  
Koga: "Ah, my woman, I'm so glad you're safe. After hearing that one of the Thunder Brothers had reappeared, I was worried and had to come check your safety for myself."  
  
Koga glances around and notices Ryei  
  
Koga: "Hey, who are you, and what was the idea getting in my way like that?"  
  
Ryei: "You were approaching at a very high speed, and I did not know whether you were friend or foe. If I had wanted, I could have angled my arm so that your own speed would have impaled you."  
  
Inu: "Who cares? What I want to know is what YOU meant by "One of the Thunder Brothers has reappeared". That's impossible; I killed them myself."  
  
Koga: "Then you must not have done a very good job. I went to see if my pack had heard anything about Naraku and found them in a shambles. When I asked them what happened, they told me a demon attacked them looking for jewel shards, and one of the elders said that it looked like the older Thunder Brother, Hiten. As soon as I heard that, I came to check on my woman to make sure he hadn't harmed her."  
  
Ryei: Turns to Inuyasha You said you had killed them; did they happen to have any jewel shards on them?"  
  
Kag: "Yeah, Hiten had five when Inuyasha beat him......Oh, you're saying Naraku revived him?"  
  
Ryei: "Sounds like it, and if you beat him before, then he'll probably want revenge."  
  
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A/N: Well, Sorry it took so long to finish this chap, A. only having a few reviews doesn't provide much motivation, B. looks at a metal mountain surrounded by broken hammers, chisels, and jackhammers Since when do writer's blocks come in admantium? I actually wanted to make this chapter longer, but this is about as much as I could produce. Ah well, maybe I'll be able to get rid of this block soon. Ja ne. 


End file.
